I have a Rudge Ladies roadster from 1911 which was originally fitted with 28 x 1 1/2in beaded edge tyres. 28 x 1 1/2in wired on tyres fitted fine and have stayed on the rims at the fairly modest pressures used on this type of bike and they are still the same outside diameter. I do wonder whether your Hercules has a smaller beaded edge tyre there were 28 x 1 3/8in beaded edge tyres as well as the 1 1/2in section tyres. John Pinkerton (00 44 121 350 0685) has a good stock of all sorts of beaded edge and other odd sized tyres. Beaded edge tyres are no longer available in Holland though Eastern Europe Czech Republic etc may be a good source as bikes were specced with is type of rim there well into the 50s and possibly later. I have a feeling your Hercules is earlier than the 1930s as beaded edge tyres were obsolete in England before the 1920s. Hilary Stone
Daniel wrote:
> Thanks for the response on the tires for my 30's Hercules. I'm afraid
> I did not describe the tire well. The standard 28 X 1.5 inch tires for the
> British roadsters will not fit on this bike. Even if the rim would accept
> them, there would not be enough fender clearance.
> When one pries the tire from the rim a bit, you can see a metal lip
> into which a "flap" from the tire is inserted. Apparently when the tire is
> inflated, this lip snugs the tire down close to the rim. I THINK this is
> called a "beaded edge" tire in England, and I am told it is still available
> in Holland.